A man accused of rioting in Portadown during disturbances last month – after police identified him from YouTube footage – has been further remanded in custody.
Ryan Pepper (32) of Westland Road, had been remanded earlier in June when he first appeared at court in connection with the charge.
During a previous hearing, the court was told that investigators received social media footage which had been uploaded to a YouTube account, containing footage recorded of serious public disorder in Portadown.
In that footage, he told the court, a male can be seen “approaching police lines and throwing an item”.
Initially, the male has the lower half of his face covered but as the footage continues, around a minute later the same male turns to face the camera and with his face now visible, “police have identified that person as Mr Pepper”.
At Craigavon Magistrates’ Court on Friday defence counsel Aaron Thompson described the case as “quite straightforward”.
He stated that while his client denies the charge the CCTV footage and the police officer’s statement being relied on by the PPS are already available.
District Judge Michael Ranaghan remarked: “The Lady Chief Justice is keeping a close eye on these cases, so we have to keep a close eye.”
Pepper was remand back into custody and the case was adjourned until August 8.
